


The Mind of Madness

by MeridianPurified



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22601887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeridianPurified/pseuds/MeridianPurified
Summary: Paloine gets roped into Daedric affairs after trying to help a madman
Kudos: 12





	The Mind of Madness

“Help me, please! That’s what you do right? You help people?”

Paloine looked down at the Bosmer man as he pleaded with her. She had heard about the madman wondering the streets, this must be him. He certainly looked mad, an old haggard complexion with deep sunken eyes and an unkempt grey beard.

“What’s wrong?” Paloine asked.

“My master has abandoned me! Abandoned his people! And nothing I say can change his mind! Now he refuses to even see me. He says I interrupt his vacation! It’s been so many years… Won’t you please help?”

Paloine raised her eyebrow. “So you know where he is?”

“Yes, he’s meeting an all friend is the abandoned Pelagius Wing of the Blue Palace, please go and find him.” The madman pleaded.

“If he refused to speak to you why would he speak to me, though?” Paloine asked, but the madman neglected to answer.

“You’ll also need this! No getting into the Pelagius Wing without it!” The madman thrust a pelvis into her hands.

Paloine sighed, this was not the worst evidence she had ever been given to track someone down with, but it was perhaps the oddest. How was a hip bone supposed to help her get into this Pelagius Wing?

She took the bone and put it in her bag. “I’ll see what I can do.” She said curtly, beginning to walk towards the Blue Palace.

What had she just gotten herself into? She assumed she was the first person humour the madman, but he seemed serious despite his obvious insanity, and exactly how was this hip bone supposed to get her into the Pelagius Wing? Dare she even ask why he had it in the first place?

She shrugged off her concerns as she entered the Blue Palace, it should be easy to find someone in here, there was only so many places they could hide.

First she had to figure out where this Wing was.

“Can I help you?” One of the servants asked her.

Paloine took this opportunity she had been presented with. “Yes I’m looking for the Pelagius Wing, Falk Fire-Beard said I needed to go in there.”

The servant fished a key out of her pocket and threw it to Paloine. “The door on the right side of the staircase up to the Jarl’s throne.” She instructed Paloine.

Paloine bid the servant a thanks and entered the Pelagius Wing, closing the door behind her. The Wing was covered in dust and cobwebs. Someone was on vacation here?

She cautiously readied a frost spell in each hand, making her way through room and into a long hallway, unease swept through her as she crept through the hallway.

As she made it about halfway down the hall a sudden overwhelming sensation of nausea overcame her. She clasped a hand to her head and closed her eyes tightly, wincing at the sudden sensation.

And when she opened her eyes she was somewhere completely distant. A misty grove met her.

Paloine quickly rose her hands to ready her spells, but no matter now hard she tried she couldn’t cast anything, she went for her quarterstaff, only to find it missing, she then went for her dagger and found the same result.

She ran a hand over her clothes, they were different too. Her green armoured clothes replaced with fine clothes and her hair done up in a neat bun. “What the fuck…”

Across the grove two met sat at a table talking, one was dressed in fine clothes, he seemed normal enough. But across from him in a throne was a Dunmer.

A Dunmer dressed in a purple and orange suit, black hair and a handsome beard, and from where she stood Paloine could see his unaturally golden eyes.

The Dunmer noticed her staring and grinned, beckoning her over. “Come on now, we won’t bite. At least, he wont.”

Paloine cautiously made her way over to them. “What is this place?” She asked.

The Dunmer smiled and cocked his head. “I’ll give ya three guesses.” He smiled, holding up three fingers.

“Oblivion.” Paloine replied instantly.

“Ehh! Wrong!” The Dunmer smiled, lowering a finger.

Paloine narrowed her eyes and looked around. “Somewhere on Nirn still.”

“Also wrong!” The Dunmer lowered another finger.

Paloine sighed. “Fine, tell me where we are.”

“You’re not even going to try and guess?” The Dunmer asked. “You still have one more go~” He cooed.

“I don’t know. Unless we’re somehow in Aetherius.”

The Dunmer lowered his final finger. “Wrong on all accounts mortal! You stand in the mind of Pelagius the Third! And you stand before Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of madness!”

“I’m… In the mind of a dead man?” Paloine raised an eyebrow.

“When you’re a Daedric Lord, the rules are a little bendable.” Sheogorath stood up and walked over to her, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Say, what are you doing here?”

“I was sent here to deliver a message.” Paloine looked down at the Daedric lord as he circled her.

“Bah! What message?” Sheogorath folded his arms. “And by whom? No wait, don’t tell, just tell me the message.”

“I was asked to retrieve you from your vacation.” Paloine told him.

Sheogorath groaned. “By one of my followers, no doubt.” He tapped his foot. “But you are far to pretty to he playing erand girl to mad mortals. No, since you spared your time to come here to charm me with your good looks I’ll leave on my own accord, just for you.”

Paloine raised an eyebrow. “Really now?”

“Well, if you do one… teeny tiny thing for me first.” Sheogorath held his thumb and index finger a small distance apart.

Paloine sighed exasperatedly. “What is it?”

“Find the way out for me.” Sheogorath smiled.

“How am I meant to do that?” Paloine asked.

Sheogorath smiled. “I’m so glad you asked, I’ll give you the key to three doors you have to open for us to leave.”

Paloine raised an eyebrow. Sheogorath snapped his fingers and held out his palm and in it appeared a grey staff, the head three different faces.

“This, my dear, is your key to freedom. The Wabbajack! Now take it and hurry along.” He smiled.

Paloine took the staff and inspected it. “What does-” But when looked up Sheogorath was already gone.

And so Paloine played Sheogorath’s games. She cured Pelagius’ night terrors, turned his guards into atronachs to attack him and helped his self confidence, all with Sheogorath’s jokes and jibes seemingly coming from nowhere.

She wandered back to the table where she had started, and Sheogorath was sitting there with his feet up. “So?”

“I fixed it. I fixed Pelagius’ mind.” Paloine threw the Wabbajack back at Sheogorath, who in then caught it.

“Well, fixed is a strong word. But a deals a deal!” He stood up. “It’s high time I returned to the Isles!”

Behind Paloine a portal opened up and through it stepped the madman who had sent her on this quest to begin with, Paloine turned her head to look at him.

“Master? Does this mean you’re going home?” The madman asked.

“No, I thought I’d summon you to rip your spine out of your ass! Of course we’re going home!” Sheogorath snapped. “What a stupid question!”

He turned back to Paloine. “Well mortal, one last treat before ya go.”

Paloine raised an eyebrow, Sheogorath was well known to drive mortals insane and call it a gift, careful not to betray and apprehension she turned fully back to Sheogorath. “Oh?”

“I’ll let you keep the Wabbajack, free of charge.” He spun the staff around in his palm. “And!”

“And..?” Paloine asked wearily.

“I’ll let you in on a little known secret.” Sheogorath rested his elbows on the table and looked at her over his hands. “My name is Delmus.”

Paloine blinked. “I.. beg your pardon?”

“Pardon given. I used to be a mortal, like you, but I ascended to godhood some 200 years ago.” Sheogorath smiled at her. “And my name was Delmus.”

Paloine let that sink in for a moment. “You.. ascended to godhood?”

Sheogorath nodded. “The old Sheogorath made me his replacement, I’ve been running the show ever since. You’re the only mortal that knows this, use the information wisely.”

Paloine blinked and she was back in the Pelagius Wing of the Blue Palace again. She raised a hand to her temple in confusion. What had just happened to her?

She wanted to believe it had been some prolonged hallucination, but she could still feel the Wabbajack in her hand, and she knew what she had experienced was far from a hallucination.


End file.
